Design wheel for knitting machines

ABSTRACT

Needle-driven inclined rotary design wheel having equally spaced replaceable inserted walls extending radially from the periphery thereof wherein the wall inserts extend radially between and within the slots of radially spaced inner and outer circular series of radially extending slots provided in a body portion of the design wheel and wherein the inserted walls provide lateral support for replaceable needle-raising jacks positioned between the inserted walls, the design wheel having a bottom cover plate releaseably secured to the bottom side of the design wheel body portion and serving to releaseably secure the wall inserts therebetween and having a top cover plate releaseably secured to the top side of the design wheel body portion and serving to releaseably secure the jacks therebetween.

r 1m 1 1 1 up i. lU'rte ibetent [151 drn r Perniellr ii ehn 212 11972 [54] lfiilEblilGi l WIHHEIETL tron KKPLETTHPJG MfiMCHllNFES Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds Art -N th L [72] lnventor: Louis lFer'nielr, Miami, Fla. Omey a am Wm [73] Assignees: David Fernielr; Din/id lllleift, ldroolrlyn; [57] AFBBSTEIRAC'K gfi g g gfit sfik Park Needle-driven inclined rotary design wheel having equally p spaced replaceable inserted walls extending radially from the [22] Filed: Feb.b,1970 periphery thereof wherein the wail inserts extend radially between and within the slots of radially spaced inner and outer 21 A 1.111591% 1 pp 0 circular series of radially extending slots provided in a body portion of the design wheel and wherein the inserted walls 11kg. C11- A, p -ovidg lateral support fur replaceable needieqaiging jacks 1 1 1111B 115/76 positioned between the inserted walls, the design wheel having [58] mew m? Mama "60/50 39 40 a bottom cover plate releaseably secured to the bottom side of the design wheel body portion and serving to releaseably [56] mefimmmm secure the wall inserts therebetween and having a top cover UNITED STATES PATENTS plate releaseably secured to the top side of the design wheel body portion and serving to releaseably secure the jacks 2,008,8 Agulnek A thgrehgtween Schmidt. Etocrt 66/50 A Ulnirns, l1 Drop/ling Figures mama mm 22 m2 K. mm v N E E N v5 R W mo mmw W AA N V: B

DlESllGhl WlllllElElL FUR Khlll'llTlhiG MACll'lllNES The present invention relates generally to the art of knitting and more particularly to needle-driven inclined rotary design wheels of the type used on circular latch needle knitting machines for the raising of selected needles thereof.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide such design wheels with radially extending inserted walls of improved formation whereby the said walls are rigidly and accurately positioned, are readily replaceable, and which provide lateral support for the needle-raising jacks adapted to be selectively positioned therebetween.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such design wheels with inserted walls wherein the latter are retained in position by a releaseably secured bottom cover plate of the design wheel and wherein the needle-raisingjacks are retained in position by a releaseably secured top cover plate of the design wheel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such design wheels with radially spaced inner and outer circular series of radially extending slots within which spaced portions of the inserted walls are disposed to accurately initially position and to thereafter retain the inserted walls radially of the design wheel, the inserted walls providing lateral support for the needle-raising jacks both before and after the top cover plate of the design wheel is secured thereto.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the present invention resides in the novel elements of construction and arrangement of parts of the design wheel illustrated and ms hereinafter particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a top plan view of the improved needle-driven inserted wall inclined rotary design wheel of the present invention showing the removable jack-retaining top cover plate of the design wheel and the radially extending inserted walls between which the jacks are placed;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of FIG. ll showing the removable inserted wall retaining bottom cover plate of the design wheel;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of FIG. l as taken on lines 33 thereof, showing the stabilizing plate for the wall inserts inside the design wheel and with needle-raising jacks positioned therein;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a portion of the design wheel of FIG. 3 in its inclined operating position on a circular knitting machine, as viewed from the needle cylinder of the machine, and showing a pair of needle-raising jacks in position between inserted walls to raise the needles whose butts are engaged thereby;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the interiorly positioned stabilizing plate shown in cross section in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the wall insert members of the present design wheel;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one type of needle-raising jack; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second type of needle-raising jack.

The design wheel of the present invention as shown in the drawings and as indicated generally at MI therein, FIG. 3, is provided on its periphery with a series of equally spaced radially extending individual inserted walls ill between certain of which customary latch-needle-raising jacks l2 and 113 are adapted to be placed in accordance with the pattern layout desired to be incorporated in the design wheel.

The inserted wall members 11, FIG; 6, preferably of sheet metal, such as steel, each have a body portion lllla and a tail portion lllh extending therefrom, the tail portion lib, here shown its being longer than the corresponding dimension of the body portion Ila, htltl u projection or butt Ht extending downwardly therefrom intermediate its ends.

Thejacks l2, FIG. 7, have a needle butt engaging body portion ll2a and a tail portion ll2b extending therefrom, thejaclts l2 customarily serving to raise selected needles to their latch clearing or knit positions. The jacks l3, FIG. ti, have an L shaped needle but engaging body portion 13a (the needle butt engaging surface of which is somewhat lower than the corresponding surface of the jacks l2) and a tail portion ll3h ex tending therefrom, the jacks l3 customarily serving to raise selected needles to their tuck positions.

The design wheel it) is provided with a base or body member Ml of generally disc shape having top and bottom extending shouldered hubs l5 and 116, respectively, with a central aperture 117 through which a suitable mounting for the design wheel may be positioned. The periphery of base M is of reduced thickness, as at 113, thereby to provide an open-sided circular groove 119 on the upper side of the base ll ll to receive therein the tail ends ll2b and 13b of the needle-raisingjacks l2 and 13. The base 114, at the outer circumference ofits reduced thickness i8, is provided with an integrally formed downwardly extending cylindrically shaped ring 20 in the periphery of which there is a series of equally spaced full length radially extending slots 2i the planes of which are disposed at an angle to and intersect the axis of the design wheel, FIG. 4, to snugly receive therein the body portions l la of the wall inserts ill with their tails llllh extending radially inwardly on the bottom side of the base M. The upper side of the ring 20, through which the slots 21] extend, is flush with and is an extension of the corresponding upper side of the reduced thickness 18 of the base M. The upper edges lld and lllle of the inserts lll extend upwardly above the level of the upper side of the ring 20 whereby those parts of the inserts it which are above the ring 20 provide lateral support for the tails 12b and 13b of the jacks l2 and l3 which are placed in upright positions therebetween, the jacks rest upon the upper sides of the ring 20 and of the reduced thickness lb of the base M, the bottom of the groove 19 serving as an abutment stop for the jacks.

The design wheel lltl is provided on the upper side ofits base 14 with a centrally apertured jack-retaining discshaped cover plate 22 through which the shoulder l5 extends and which is removably secured to the base M by suitable means, such as spaced screws 22a extending through plate 22 into threaded engagement with the base 114 of the design wheel. A groove 22b is provided in the underside of the plate 22 adjacent its periphery to receive therein portions of the tails 12b and ll3h of the jacks when the plate 22 is secured in position and whereby the outer rim 22c of the plate: 22 may, at the same time, engage the tails 112k and 13b of the jacks (extending above the edges lid of the wall inserts ill) to securely retain thejacks in position in the design wheel.

The design wheel llll is provided on the under side of its base 14 with a pair of disc-shaped plates 23 and 24, with the shoulder 16 of base M extending through a closefitting aper ture in plate 23 and extending partially through a larger aperture in the plate 24-.

The plate 23, FIGS. 3 and 5, has a series of equally spaced radially extending slots 23a in its periphery, these slots being equal in number and disposed at the same angle as the slots 211 in the ring 20, to snugly receive therein the ends iifof the tail portions lllb of the wall inserts ill of which the body portions lllla are at the same time disposed in the slots 21. The plate 23 thus functions as a stabilizer to accurately maintain as well as to assist in the initial radial positioning of the inserted walls llll in the design wheel lit] and thereby to insure equal spacing of the body portions lllla thereof. The plate .23 may, if desired, be made an integral part of the base Ml or it may be independently secured thereto. The circular series of slots 23a is radially spaced inwardly from the circular series of slots 21 and it is this spacing of the slots within which spaced portions of the wall inserts ll are disposed that positions the latter radially of the design wheel.

The plate 24, FIG. 3, has a circular groove 24m in its upper face adjacent its periphery and within which the projections 11 of the wall inserts 11 are received when the plate 24 is secured in position on the design wheel with the plate 23 disposed between it and the base 14. The plate 24 is releaseably secured to the base 14 by suitable means, such as spaced screws 24b extending through suitable clearance holes in plates 23 and 24 into threaded engagement with the base 14 of the design wheel 10. The disposition and configuration of the groove 24a of plate 24 and of the projections 110 of the wall inserts 11 are such that, with the plate 24 in position, the wall inserts 11 are thereby caused to be forced both upwardly and radially inwardly whereby the edges of the appropriately positioned and shaped sides of the wall inserts 11 are seated against the underside of the base 14, against the bottoms of the slots 21 and against the outer face of the plate 24 with the ends 11f of the tails 11b in the slots 23a of plate 23 thereby to accurately and rigidly releaseably secure the replaceable wall inserts 11 in the design wheel 10 with their body portions equally radially spaced. The bottom face of plate 24 is preferably flush with the bottom side of the ring 20.

It should be noted that the circular series of slots 21 and 23a are radially spaced (plate 23 being of smaller diameter than that of ring and receive therein the correspondingly spaced portions of 11a and 11b of the wall inserts 11, and further that the projections 110 of the wall inserts 11 and the retaining groove 24a of plate 24 are disposed between the spaced circular series of slots 21 and 23a, this arrangement insuring both accurate initial and subsequent rigid radial disposition of the wall inserts Ill and equal spacing of their body portions 11a It should also be noted that the arrangement of parts is such that portions 11d of the wall inserts 11 extend directly above the upper side of the ring 20 of base 14 for a sufficient distance to thereby provide lateral support for the tails 12b and 13b of the jacks l2 and 13 positioned therebetween whereby these jacks are individually retained by the wall inserts 11 on both sides thereof in their correct upright and radial positions both before (when the jacks 12 and 13 are being selectively positioned in the design wheel according to the desired pattern layout) and after the cover plate 22 is secured in position on the design wheel 10.

What is claimed is:

l. Needie-driven inclined rotary design wheel of the type having needle-raising jacks and used on circular latch needle knitting machines to raise selected needles thereof, said design wheel having a generally disc-shaped body member provided with top and bottom sides, a generally disc-shaped top cover plate upon and releaseably secured to the top side of said body member, a generally disc-shaped bottom cover plate upon and releaseably secured to the bottom side of said body member, an additional disc-shaped plate disposed between the bottom side of said body member and said bottom cover plate, said body member and said additional plate respectively providing radially spaced outer and inner circular series of radially extending slots, a circular series of radially extending inserts disposed between the bottom side of said body member and said bottom cover plate and being releaseably secured in said design wheel by said bottom cover plate, said inserts being individually positioned within and extending between the slots in said outer and in said inner series thereof, said inserts extending radially outwardly from said outer series of slots and from the periphery of said body member thereby to provide inserted walls in said design wheel, said design wheel having its needle-raising jacks positionable on the top side of said body member and between said inserted walls, and said jacks being disposed between said body member and said top cover plate and being releaseably secured in said design wheel by said top cover plate.

2. Design wheel as in claim 1 wherein said inserts are seated against the bottom side of said body member, against the bottoms of said slots of said outer series thereof, and against the periphery of said bottom cover plate.

3. Design wheel as in claim 1 wherein said insert portions are provided with projections extending toward said bottom cover plate and wherein said bottom cover plate is provided with a circular groove within which said pro ections are disposed whereby said bottom cover plate causes said inserts to be releaseably secured in said design wheel with appropriately shaped portions thereof seated against the bottom side of said body member, against the bottoms of the slots of said outer series thereof, and against the periphery of said bottom cover plate. 

1. Needle-driven inclined rotary design wheel of the type having needle-raising jacks and used on circular latch needle knitting machines to raise selected needles thereof, said design wheel having a generally disc-shaped body member provided with top and bottom sides, a generally disc-shaped top cover plate upon and releaseably secured to the top side of said body member, a generally disc-shaped bottom cover plate upon and releaseably secured to the bottom side of said body member, an additional disc-shaped plate disposed between the bottom side of said body member and said bottom cover plate, said body member and said additional plate respectively providing radially spaced outer and inner circular series of radially extending slots, a circular series of radially extending inserts disposed between the bottom side of said body member and said bottom cover plate and being releaseably secured in said design wheel by said bottom cover plate, said inserts being individually positioned within and extending between the slots in said outer and in said inner series thereof, said inserts extending radially outwardly from said outer series of slots and from the periphery of said body member thereby to provide inserted walls in said design wheel, said design wheel having its needle-raising jacks positionable on the top side of said body member and between said inserted walls, and said jacks being disposed between said body member and said top cover plate and being releaseably secured in said design wheel by said top cover plate.
 2. Design wheel as in claim 1 wherein said inserts are seated against the bottom side of said body member, against the bottoms of said slots of said outer series thereof, and against the periphery of said bottom cover plate.
 3. Design wheel as in claim 1 wherein said insert portions are provided with projections extending toward said bottom cover plate and wherein said bottom cover plate is provided with a circular groove within which said projections are disposed whereby said bottom cover plate causes said inserts to be releaseably secured in said design wheel with appropriately shaped portions thereof seated against the bottom side of said body member, against the bottoms of the slots of said outer series thereof, and against the periphery of said bottom cover plate. 